Tennessee car passenger died when her vehicle flipped over several times

Motor vehicle accidents can turn deadly and create serious financial and emotional problems for the victim’s family. 

A local woman died when she was ejected from a car in Greenbrier, Tennessee. 

Car rolls off of the road in a residential area and the passenger is killed

The Tennessee Highway Patrol was in charge of the preliminary accident investigation. They believe a Saturn sedan was going southbound on Logan Road at about 7 pm on a Sunday night. At some point around the 2900 block, the driver lost control of the car and the vehicle began to leave the road. The vehicle went to the right and crossed a fog line, then it swerved back across the road in the opposite direction towards a front yard in a residential area. The vehicle flipped over several times until it came to a complete stop near a house on Logan Road. 

The man driving the car was not wearing a seat belt and he was thrown from the vehicle during the impact. He sustained injuries but he survived the crash. His passenger was a 41 year old female who was wearing her seat belt. She was also ejected from the vehicle due to the rolling and impact, but she was pronounced dead on the scene shortly afterward. 

The local police who responded said that they were planning on bringing criminal charges against the driver, but no specific charges were mentioned. The identity of the victim, but not the driver was released. A full investigation was scheduled to be conducted by the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

Fatal accidents and legal remedies

Most personal injury lawyers have to deal with situations where an accident was so severe that at least one person involved was killed. Because the victim cannot bring a lawsuit on their own, Tennessee has passed a wrongful death law that will allow the family to recover certain amounts related to their family member’s death. 

Wrongful death laws essentially allow a family member such as a spouse, child, or parent to bring the case on the victim’s behalf. They can receive payment for the deceased person’s lost wages and services, as well as funeral, burial, and medical expenses. 

Why not just file an insurance claim? 

The costs tied to an accident can vary greatly, but in most cases an insurance policy will only cover several thousand dollars worth of damage. If someone is permanently injured, cannot work due to complications from the accident, or has their long term earning potential affected, these losses can easily be much larger than what a standard auto insurance policy will cover. A civil lawsuit is essentially the only way for a victim or their family to receive these larger amounts. Even if the case settles rather than goes to trial, the amount of compensation that the plaintiff will receive is often significant. 

Talk to a local attorney who focuses on accident cases 

There are some lawyers in the state of Tennessee who have been helping people injured in accidents for decades. George R Fusner Jr. has been assisting people in the Nashville metro area with their cases since 1977.